Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 1551 to 1575 of 1913 results

1551. No Fear

Psalm 23:4

Sermon

James Merritt

Fear—we all know what it is. It is one of the most debilitating emotions known to the human race. As a matter of fact, it is fascinating to see just what it is that people fear most. Here are the three greatest fears people have in America: Fear number one: Going to a party where they will be surrounded by strangers. Fear number two: Having to speak before a crowd. Fear number three: Being asked a personal question in public.1 Fear is unbelievably powerful. It penetrates the heart, it poisons the spirit, ...

1552. Introducing A Child to God

1 Samuel 1:1-21

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Some years ago I noticed that a particular family had dropped out of church. So, I made some inquiries concerning them. I found out that one of their children was an excellent young soccer player. His particular soccer league had scheduled their games for Sunday mornings. So, the parents and the child had a choice to make—whether to attend Sunday School and church or participate in a soccer league. They chose soccer. Just think of the tragic lesson that child learned about priorities in his life. Just ...

1553. From Selfishness to Servanthood

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

I never thought I would say this but, apart from news and sports, the best things on TV might be the commercials. Whoever invented this charming little green lizard to sell insurance is an absolute genius. Let me test your memory regarding another commercial. The flight attendant on this airplane speaks to the pilot through the intercom. “Captain, we are out of Colombian coffee.” Immediately this large aircraft, with its white vapor trail, makes a U-turn and flies back in the opposite direction. Now I ...

1554. The Treasure Principles

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The story is told of a man who, while walking on a beach, found a used magic lamp. He rubbed the lamp and the genie appeared, inviting him to make a wish. The man pondered for a moment and then had a great idea. He requested a copy of the stock page from the local newspaper, dated exactly one year into the future. With a puff of smoke, the genie disappeared and in his place was a copy of the stock page, dated exactly one year into the future. Gleefully, the man sat down to peruse his trophy. Now he could ...

1555. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Hear we are on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I wonder if you feel very thankful. Some would reply, “Brother Bill, some of us are more thankful than others. It depends on one’s circumstances.” You know, it’s easy to celebrate Thanksgiving when your family is healthy, your income is ample, your stocks are ascending, your favorite team is headed to a bowl game, your sinuses have overcome the Memphis grunge, and your aches and pains are minimal. But that kind of thanksgiving can be awfully superficial. ...

1556. Mary, Did You Know?

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

That haunting song you just heard, written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene and sung so beautifully by Cheryl Sarfas (or Amy Ford), causes me to wonder, “What did Mary know? And, conversely, what did she not understand?” Mary, the mother of Jesus, was probably about 14 years old when we meet her in Scripture. She was a simple Jewish girl born to Hannah and Joachim in the village of Nazareth, up in Galilee, the northern part of Israel. Mary’s parents were godly peasant folks whose only bragging point was that ...

1557. Do I Really Matter To God?

Psalm 139:1-24

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Sometimes people in great distress come to pastors, and that is certainly appropriate. Though we do not always have precise solutions for their dilemmas, we certainly can provide a safe and confidential place to share troubles, and we can connect them with our loving, all-wise, all-powerful God. Often these folks coming to my office feel lower than a whale’s belly. They sometimes make statements like the following: • My mistakes have been so awful that there is no way to repair the damage; or, • My illness ...

1558. Zechariah II: Thy Prayer is Heard

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

John E. Harnish

The problem was there were just too many priests. All the male descendents of Aaron formed the royal priesthood, and as the years rolled on they multiplied. There were just too many to handle the daily religious routine and ritual of the temple, so they were organized in divisions—Zechariah was in the Division of Abijah—then they were assigned on a rotating schedule, maybe only serving a few weeks every year. Then within that band of servants, they cast lots, like the roll of the dice, to see who would ...

1559. From the Tomb

John 20:1-18

Sermon

John E. Harnish

None other than my good friend David Crumm reported on the front page of Friday's Free Press: "Christians Reach Beyond Easter Uproar to Find Hope." He writes: "Easter, Christianity's cornerstone, is at hand and nearly 200 million Americans say they plan to go to church. But the central meaning of the holiday is more hotly debated than at any other time in American history." David refers to The Da Vinci Code (and by the way, he will be with us the night of our Da Vinci Code theater party), the buzz about ...

1560. When Religion Becomes a Laughing Matter

Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon

John E. Harnish

This is not how we usually think of worship (image of newspaper ad): "The splitting of the gut, the slapping of the thigh, and the peeing of the pants." But if the topic is Sarah and Abraham, it makes perfect sense. I can't do better than to share Frederick Buechner's description of the scene: The place to start is with a woman laughing. She is an old woman, and after a lifetime in the desert, her face is cracked and rutted like a six-month drought. She hunches her shoulders around her ears and starts to ...

1561. Whose Side Are You On?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

“Shoot Me First.” That’s what a courageous 13-year-old Amish girl said to the crazed man who broke into her school on Monday, October 2, 2006. “Shoot Me First.” He did shoot her, killing her along with five of her schoolmates, aged seven to thirteen. Then he killed himself. The shooter, Charles Carl Roberts, a 32-year-old milkman entered the humble one-room schoolhouse with the intent of killing as many students as possible. But one student, Marian Fisher, the oldest of the five Amish girls shot dead that ...

1562. Secret Revealed

Romans 16:25-27

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

At last it happens! Jesus the Christ is born of a woman and is here for all to see in flesh and blood. Paul, as is often the case, is in a celebrative mood. It is as though all of creation is pulsating with his entrance into history. Human nature has a way of enjoying secrets and naturally wants exposures to occur. We are fascinated by the possibility of something or someone being revealed. In this case it is far more than fascinating. It is thrilling beyond adequate words to depict. History seems to stop ...

1563. Plea for Discipline

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

In a way, Christians are all in the Olympics! We are running the race that determines our eternal abode. We run to win and the prize is the most valuable we will ever seek. No money or property will purchase it. Only self-control under the banner of Christ grants a chance for winning. The apostle is very clear and speaks to all who would enter the race that leads to everlasting life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an old/new teaching to whom all Christians for twenty centuries can relate. It ...

1564. God Our Protector and Shield

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

James Gillis, a priest and writer in the mid-twentieth century, became well known as a commentator on American life. He saw himself as a champion for the cause of moral righteousness and absolutism against the forces of darkness that manifested themselves in various ways. This "war" continued throughout his life with battles waged on numerous fronts, all prosecuted to protect the American Christian way of life that was instilled in him from childhood. Gillis believed that truth should enwrap all decisions ...

1565. Prayer: A Way of Life

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once there was a monastery in the woods that had fallen upon hard times. In the past it had been a thriving community that was well known and respected throughout the region, but over the last generation the monks had died one by one and there were no new vocations to replace them. Besides this, the monks did not seem to be as friendly to each other. Something just wasn't right. The Father Abbot was quite concerned about the future of his monastery, now consisting of himself and three brothers and, thus, ...

1566. Dots on a Screen

Hebrews 9:24-28

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

Several years have now passed since the television series Survivor first debuted to become a summer ratings sensation. The concept was simple: place a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds, skills, and personalities into close proximity with a common purpose, namely survival on a deserted island, and let the audience watch as their relationships develop, or fall apart. This, of course, is not to be confused with a much earlier comedy series based on the "seven stranded castaways" of Gilligan's ...

1567. The True Gate Of Heaven

Acts 2:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Listen: Once long ago, the Tower of Babel reached up to touch heaven, but it all came to nothing but babble. Babylon claimed to be the true gate of heaven, but that all proved to be nothing but babble. You can't put down deep roots and claim to control God. The Spirit speaks with clarity through God's people, so that all might hear the great news in their own tongue. Gone is Babel, Babylon, babble, and here to stay is the Spirit and we'll never hold still again. Welcome. This is the gate of ...

1568. When Our Only Measure Is Fairness

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

Some years ago The Christian Century included some reflections on this parable by a Congregational Church pastor named Anthony Robinson. Robinson writes of working hard in his garden throughout the spring and summer, only to discover that the most productive part of the garden was a surprise patch of pumpkins and zucchini he never knowingly planted, apparently the result of some seeds included in the compost haphazardly spread on the ground in early spring. It was a reminder that, in spite of all our hard ...

1569. It’s Good to Know Who Is Calling

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

When I was a boy, our family used to have a parakeet. The bird's name was "Beauty." Beauty was a bird like most. She spent her life in the cage poking at a mirror and whistling while my mom played classical music. She was quite tame, and we all loved playing with her. One special skill that she acquired, however, was whistling. In fact, she was able to perfectly copy the whistle that my dad used to call our pet dog. It was amazing. You really couldn't tell whether it was my dad or the bird whistling. ...

1570. Setting All the Idols Down

Hosea 2:14-20

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Idolatry. It's not an issue that crowds the agenda of the contemporary church today. Most people really don't give it much thought. If asked about idolatry, some will respond with some comment about worshiping graven images instead of God. The more biblically astute will point to the golden calf story in Exodus (32:4). The unfortunate reality, however, is that most people would point to a popular television show called, American Idol. In modern parlance, an idol is a celebrity. An idol is someone who is " ...

1571. Ashes for Remembering

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

In our Judeo-Christian heritage, ashes are for mourning — a symbol of loss, weeping — a signal of deep emotion, repentance — a sign of needed change and sincerity — a desire to be conformed to the image of God. But mostly, ashes are for remembering. Henri Nouwen, the Roman Catholic writer, tells us that from a biblical point of view remembering means more than recalling an event or person. Remembering means participation and actualizing former events and people.1 By remembering, we enter into the past. ...

1572. A Funeral for “I Can’ts”

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Sermon

Ron Lavin

She was near retirement. Some people thought of her as being old and "over the hill," but she had an idea. The idea was fresh and memorable. She was a schoolteacher in Michigan. Many people thought that schoolteachers made little or no difference in life compared to the powerful people in business and politics. They were wrong. She told her students to write down as many "I Can'ts" as they could think of. She wrote her list as the students wrote their lists. She included: "I can't get John's mother to come ...

1573. The Job Description of a Leader

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If the church is to make a difference in the world, every one of its members must begin to act and think like leaders. Leadership is not for the few and the special, the exception rather than the expected. Whether this mysterious thing called "leadership" comes naturally or is an acquired talent, every Christian must come to terms with it. A biblical style of leadership and language of leadership must become endemic in the church. In the Old Testament and Gospel lessons for this week both David and Jesus ...

1574. Uh-Huh!

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Long ago Hosea gave some advice: "Take with you words and turn to the Lord." Today we take some tragically misplaced words such as "character," "honor," and "integrity," as well as their post-modern reincarnations as the "right thing," the "right stuff," and the "right one," and once again turn to the Lord. At the time of this writing probably the hottest new media blitz is the stylish and witty Diet Pepsi commercials. With the aid of jazz great Ray Charles, these musical ditties proclaim, "You got the ...

1575. The Crime of Christmas

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Christmas is the Nativity of Consciousness. It is a time for us all, we who have lost touch with the tale, to rediscover the wondrous, the miraculous, the unspeakable; the wild, the odd, the strange; the impossible world of the child, the improbable faith of the believer. The story of Christmas is the story of the unspeakable in hot pursuit of the unimaginable, and some would say unattainable. It is the impossible made possible - and of a momentary recognition and celebration of this amazing event by both ...

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